Block splitting machine



May 22, 1956 c. L. PETCH 2,745,447

BLOCK SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l l UL- 40 14 1 5 l I 2 J 17 J9 16 I6 17 z o 18 INVENTOR. Char/es Pct ch ATTOR/V .May 22, 1956 c. L. PETCH 2,746,447

BLOCK SPLITTING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Char/es A Pet 06 HTTORA/f) I'll y 1956 c. L. PETCH BLOCK SPLITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 28, 1953 INVENTOR. Char/c5 L. Pete/2 ATTORNEY May 22, 1956 Filed Dec. 28, 1953 C. L. PETCH BLOCK SPLITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Char/es 1.. Zc/7 ATTORNEY United States Patent 2,746,447 BLOCK SFLI'ITING MACHINE Charles L. Petch, Alpena, Mich, assi'gnor to Petch Manufacturing Company, Alpena', Micli., a corporation of Michigan Application December 28, 1953, Serial No. 400,445

3 Claims. (Cl. 125--23) This invention relates to a block splitting machine and more particularly to a machine for splitting concrete blocks and thelike to form rough, stone-like surfaces.

The principal object of the inventionis the provision of a block splitting machine capable of rapidly and efiiciently moving a block into splitting position, splitting the block on a desired point of cleavage and capable of recycling said operation indefinitely.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a block splitting machine incorporating means for bringing block splitting blades into forceful engagement with a block to be split and carrying the said block substantially on said blades during the actual splitting operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a block splitting machine having a fixed blade and a movable blade and means for moving a block there between in a manner permitting the block to be carried substantially on the said fixed and movable blades during the subsequent splitting operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a block splitting machine having readily adjustable means controlling the travel of the movable blade thereof.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a block splitting machine wherein the means for moving the blocks into splitting position and the means for splitting the blocks are hydraulically actuated and sub ject to automatic recycling controls. I

The block splitting machine disclosed herein comprises an improvement in the art of stone and blocksplitting machines as heretofore known. Such machines as have heretofore existed and have been adapted for use in splitting concrete blocks have had the common deficiency of crumbling the blocks, particularly adjacent the point of support of the block during the splitting operation. Such machines have been wasteful in operation as the product, when split and crumbled, isnot usable for its intended purpose. I

The relatively widespread use of split concrete blocks, usually vari-colored patterns in building constructions and particularly home or residential buildings, has led to a demand for an eflicient, rapidly operating block splitter operating to split the blocks without otherwise damaging them.

Such split concrete blocks as produced on the machine disclosed herein retain their desirable modulus and when laid in a wall as the facing thereof with the split sides out, they are most attractive as they closely resemble natural stone and have an infinite variety of surface patterns due to the splitting action previously imparted them. i

The block splitting machine disclosed herein. has been designed to achieve these several objects and operates efficiently and satisfactorily.

-With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being the intention to cover all changes and 2,746,447 Patented May 22, 1956 'ice . block supporting portions of the machine and-the block splitting blades thereof. a

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a portion of the block splitting machine shown in Figure l and by means of which the blocks are moved into block splitting position. c

draulic actuating means of the block splitting machine.

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a portion of the block splitting machine illustrating the means for holding the blocks in feed-in position.

By referring to the drawings and Figure 1 in particular it will be seen that the block splitting machine comprises. base members ill-10 having transversely positioned spacers li111 and supporting vertically extending V61? tical frame members 12-42. The vertical frame members 1Z--l2 are preferably doubly flanged as at Ill-13 to lend rigidity thereto and the vertical frame members 12-12 carry a pair of oppositely disposed horizontal frame members 14-414 adjacent their uppermost ends. The horizontal frame members Il4-14 are doubly flanged as at 1515 to lend rigidity thereto.

The vertical frame members l2-l2 also carry intermediate frame members 16-16 which are doubly flanged as at 17-17 and which serve primarily to support a block feeding assembly. including longitudinally extending framing members 18-18. The longitudinally extending framing members 18l8 extend in spaced parallel relation to the base members 10 and are supported on the intermediate frame members 16--16 and a rearwardly extending frame extension 19.

A lower blade 20 is also carried on the. intermediate frame members 16-16 and is secured between a pair of the longitudinal framing members 18 -18 by means of fasteners 21. The blade 20 is thus positioned on edge Coil springs 25-25 are positioned about the pins 2424 and on the flanges 17 and beneath the table 23 so that the upper surface of the table 23 is normally posie tioned above the uppermost portion of the cutting edge 22 of the lower blade 20. A block moved onto the table 23 is therefore supported above the cutting edge 22 of the 7 lower blade 20. p q p H V t In Figure 2 of the drawings the block is indicated by the letter B and a line S indicates. the cleavage line of the block resulting from the operation of the block splitting machine. v

By referring again to Figure l of the drawings it will be observed that means is provided for receiving and moving blocks into position onthe table 23 and such means comprises a spaced parallel pair of roller conveyors 26-26 carried on the longitudinal frame members 1818 on the right side of the machine, as illustrated in Figure l' of. the drawings, and-extending from a point outwardly Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating thehy 3 from the vertical frame members 12-12 to a point adjacent the forward edge of the table 23.

The pair of roller conveyors 26-26 serve to receive a block delivered thereto as from a chute or other desired means (not shown) and support the block and permit it to be advanced into block splitting position by a block advancing means hereinafter described. The conveyors 26 are provided with spaced parallel block guides 27-27, the foremost ends of which are outwardly flared as at 28-28 so that a block is readily received therebetween. The guides 27-27 are supported with the conveyors 26-26 on the longitudinal frame members 18-18 of the machine.

' Secondary conveyor assemblies 29 are located on the opposite side of the machine (the left side as shown in Figure 1) and are supported on the frame extension 19 and the longitudinally extending frame members 18 and serve to receive the split blocks as they are moved from splitting position on the table 23 by the next block delivered to splitting position by the block advancing means hereinafter described.

The table 23 is also provided with block guiding means including movably positioned brackets 30-30 mounted in spaced parallel relation on the table 23 and each of which brackets 30-30 supports a resiliently mounted block engaging guide 31, as may best be seen in Figure 2 of the drawings.

The forward ends of the block engaging guides are flared outwardly so that the block may be readily moved into position therebetween and, as they are resiliently mounted in the brackets 30 by means of coil springs 32-32, they hold the block firmly in splitting position on the table 23.

In Figure 1 of the drawings, one of the guides 31 is shown in adjusted position with respect to the other as is necessary when it is desired to split a block on a diagonal line rather than on a longitudinal line of cleavage, as hereinbefore described.

In order that the brackets 30 can be adjusted to alternate positions on the table 23, the table 23 is provided with a plurality of openings and the fasteners normally mounting the brackets 30 to the table are engageable with these several openings so that alternate positions are readily set up as desired.

Byreferring again to Figure 1 of the drawings, it will be observed that a hydraulic cylinder 33 is mounted between the horizontal framing members 14-14 midway between the vertical frame members 12-12 and is provided with a piston having a piston rod 34 extending downwardly out of the lower end of the cylinder 33 through an appropriate gland construction 35. I A blade carrying shoe 36 is mounted on the end of the piston rod 34 and is also attached to a vertically positioned rod 37 which extends upwardly from the blade carrying shoe 36 in spaced relation to the piston rod 34 and through a guide block 38 secured to one of the horizontal frame members 14.

The rod 37, in addition to maintaining the blade carrying shoe 36 in parallel relation to the path of the block to be split, as heretofore described, serves to control the vertical movement of the piston rod 34 as occasioned by actuation of the hydraulic cylinder 33 in that a sleeve 39 is movably mounted on the rod 37 and with respect to indicia formed on the rod 37 so that its relative positioning on the rod 37 will enable it to engage and disengage controlling switches 40 and 41, as best seen in Figure 2 of the drawings, and which controlling switches act to operate solenoid valves in the hydraulic system controlling the hydraulic cylinder 33.

The upper blade 42 is mounted in the blade shoe 36 and is normally positioned above the uppermost edge of a block positioned on the table 23 for splitting operation as .best shown in Figure 2 of the drawings.

It will occur to those skilled in the art that at such time as the hydraulic cylinder 33 is energized so as to move the piston rod 34 downwardly, the resultant downward motion of the upper blade 42 will bring its cutting edge 43 into engagement with the block B on an exact parallel, vertically spaced line with respect to the fixed lower blade 20 so that a line of cleavage S is established vertically and the block B and longitudinally thereof.

At such time as the upper blade 42 engages the block B, the downward pressure of the same against the block B will depress the table 23 and bring the cutting edge 22 of the fixed blade 20v into engagement with the bottom of the block B directly beneath the blade 42 and subsequent movement of the blade 42 will result in cleaving the block on the cleavage line S as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The action of the hydraulic cylinder 33 is then reversed to elevate the blade 42 whereupon the table 23 elevates the block B and the same can then be moved off by the means normally advancing the block into splitting position as hereinafter described.

The means for advancing the block into splitting position from the point of reception of the block on the conveyors 26 into block splitting position on the table 23 comprises a secondary hydraulic cylinder 44 which is carried on the longitudinally extending frame members 18-18 in the area of the machine above the frame extension 19 and arranged so that the piston rod 45 attached to the piston reciprocally positioned in the hydraulic cylinder 44 lies in the area between the innermost pair of longitudinal frame members 18-18 and between the parallel pair of conveyors 26-26 heretofore referred to.

The piston rod 45 has a T-shaped guide piece 46 on its outermost end, the opposite sides of the head of which slidably engage the opposed inner edges of the frame portions of the conveyors 26-26. The uppermost portion of the T-shaped guide 46 has a pair of upwardly and inwardly inclined fingers 47-47 pivoted thereto which are adapted to engage the end of a block to be split and, when the secondary hydraulic cylinder 44 is actuated, move the block along the conveyors.26-26 onto the table 23 into block splitting position as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawings.

The piston rod 45 is covered throughout its length between the cylinder 44 and the T-shaped guide 46 with a flexible collapsible boot 48 to protect the same from dust and pieces of block, etc., which would otherwise fall directly on the piston rod 45.

By referring again to Figure l of the drawings it will be observed that blocks entering the machine by being placed on the conveyors 26-26 at the extreme right hand side thereof will move into the area between the block guides 27-27 and be aligned for movement by the hydraulic cylinder and the finger 47 onto the table 23 and thereby beneath the movable upper blade 42 of the block splitting machine.

By referring to Figures 1 and 5 of the drawings it will be seen that the block guides 27-27 act to hold each block in position adjacent the table 23 and this is accomplished by providing each of the block guides 27 with pivoted arms 49 adjacent the innermost ends thereof. The ends of the arms 49 which extend beyond the guides 27 are supplied with rollers 50-50 and act to engage the forward end of the block and stop the same. The inner ends of the arms 49 are biased outwardly from the sides of the guides 27-27 by coil springs 51-51. Longitudinal extensions 49A-49A are formed on the ends of the arms 49 and are provided with oppositely disposed curved end portions registering with openings in the guides 27-27 and in the area of a second block positioned on the conveyors 26-26.v

It will thus be seen that when the actuating mechanism moves the first block onto the table 23 from the conveyors26 it will be forced between the arms 49 and the rollers 50-50 which will cause the longitudinal extensions 49A to move inwardly of the openings in the 1 position by reason of the springs 51-51 and the second block moves to first block position where it is stopped by the rollers 50. 1

The positioningof the block in the guides 2727 is also used to actuate the re-cycling mechanism whereby the device will automatically re-cycleas long as a block is presented to the guides 27--27. As best illustrated in Figure 3 of the drawings, the re-cycling mechanism iscontrolled by a recycling switch 52 which is operatively engaged by a pivotedre-cycling switch arm 53, the uppermost portion 54 thereof being positioned in the area normally occupied by the bottom of the block so that the weight of the block will depress the'same,

move the arm 53 and close the switch 52.

An additional control switch utilized in the operation of the device and including the re-cycling operation is located on one of the longitudinally extending frame members 18 and comprises a switch 55 having an extended control arm adapted to engage a trip block 56 which is adjustably positioned on a rod 57 which in turn is carried by the T-shaped end 46 of the piston rod 45.

' A source of hydraulic fluid under pressure is built into the block splitting machine disclosed herein for actuating the hydraulic cylinders 33 and 44 and comprises a reservoir 58 located on the transverse base members 11 and serving to support a motor 59 and a pump 60 coupled thereto as best set forth in the schematic diagram comprising Figure 4 of the drawings.

By referring to Figure 4 of the drawings it will be observed that the pump 60 secures hydraulic fluid from the reservoir 58v and delivers the same to the hydraulic cylinders 33 and 44 by way of a plurality of control valves 61 and 62 each of which is a four-way valve enabling them to control the hydraulic cylinders 33 and 44 and specifically the blade 42 and the block advancing fingers 47. t

Still referring to Figure 4 of the drawings it will be seen that the output of the pump 60 flows into a pressure relief valve 63, a portion of which communicates with a return line 64 which in turn is in'communicationwith the reservoir 58. The hydraulic fluid delivered by the pump 60 normally flows through the pressure relief valve and into a hydraulic line 65, a portion 65A of which communicates directly with the four-way valve 62 and another portion 65 of which communicates with the fourway valve 61 and by way of a controlling needle valve 66. The needle valve 66 serves to regulate the speed of operation of the cylinder 44 which activates the block moving finger 47 for moving blocks from the rollers 26 onto splitting position beneath the blade 42.

The four-way valves 61 and 62 each communicate with the return line 64, the four-Way valve 62 establishing such communication by way of a spring loaded exhaust check valve 67. The four-Way valve 61 is operated bya solenoid 68 arranged to move the spool (not shown) of the fourway valve 61 so as to direct hydraulic fluid from the line 65 into the appropriate end of the return line 64 and cause the movement of the block engaging fingers 47.

The solenoid 68 is connected with a suitable power source (not shown) and the circuit making such connection is controlled by a switch 69 which is closed when engaged by the block advancing fingers 47 and which switch 69 is connected in series with a starting switch until a switch 71 is engaged by the block advancing fins 6 gers 47 whereupon a circuit from a power source to a solenoid 72 moving the four-way valve 62 is created and hydraulic fluid is directed to the hydraulic cylinder 33 to cause the blade 42 to move downwardly, thus splitting the block which has been moved onto the table 23 between the guides 31-31 by the block advancing fingers 47. i Q When the blade 42 is moved downwardly a predetermined degree, the means 39 associated therewith closes the switch 40, heretofore referred to, which de-energizes the solenoid 72 and energizes the solenoid 73 which moves the four-way valve 62 in an opposite direction and cause the hydraulic cylinder 33 to retract the blade 42 by moving the same upwardly. During this operation, the fourway valve 61 has returned to its initial position and again closed the switch 69 heretofore referred to. When the block splitting machine is set for automatic re-cycling operation, a re-cycling switch 74 in the path of the blocks moving onto the conveyors 2626 will enable the com plete re-cycling of the device.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that the block splitting machine disclosed herein may be operated manually or automatically, a manual operation being desirable when it is desired to split the blocks on a line other than longitudinally thereof and in which case the automatic sequence operation controlled by the feeding in of successive blocks is dispensed with and the blade and block advancing cylinders directly controlled by manual switches provided.

It will thus be seen that the several objects of the invention have been met by the block splitting machine disclosed herein.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a block splitting machine, a frame including an upper portion, a vertically movable blade suspended from said upper frame portion, means for vertically reciprocating said movable blade, a second blade fixedly secured to said frame below the movable blade and in vertical register therewith, a table disposed between the fixed and movable blades, means on the frame supporting the table for vertical movement, mean-s normally urging the table to its upper position, said table having an opening therein to receive the fixed blade when the table isdepressed, means supported by the frame at one saide of said table for delivering blocks to be split onto said table, the last means comprising a pair of spaced, parallel roller supports and mechanism disposed between the roller suports for moving blocks along the roller supports onto the table, said mechanism including a hydraulic cylinder fixed to the frame, a piston rod extending from the cylinder between the roller supports, and fingers pivotally carried by the free end of said piston rod adapted to engage a block supported by the rollers and move the same onto said table.

2. In a block splitting machine, a frame including an upper portion, a vertically movable blade suspended from said upper frame portion, means for vertically reciprocating said movable blade, a second blade fixedly secured to said frame below the movable blade and in vertical register therewith, a table disposed between the fixed and movable blades, means on the frame supporting the table for vertical movement, means normally urging the table to its upper position, said table having an opening therein to receive the fixed blade when the table is depressed, means supported by the frame at one side of said table for delivering blocks to be split onto said table, the last means'comprising a pair of spaced, parallel roller supports and mechanism disposed between the roller supports for moving blocks along the roller supports onto the table, said mechanism includ-- ing a hydraulic cylinder fixed to the frame, a piston rod.

extending from the cylinder between the roller supports,.

block guide means including a. pair of spacedv parallel plates, an arm extending in. side by side relation toeach plate, a vertical pivot pin carried by each plate and extending throughfeach arm adjacent the one end thereof adjacent said table, those ends of the arms being normally disposed inspaced relation a distance less than a block to be split, and the opposite ends of the arms being normally spaced apart a distance slightly greater than a block tobe split, whereby when a block is interposed between the one ends of the arms, the opposite ends thereof will swing toward each other and clamp the next block in line therebetween.

3. The machine as defined in claim 2, wherein rollers are pivotally carried by said one ends of the arms.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Elliott Apr. 20, Sudre Jan. 20, Petermann Mar. 8, White Nov. 2, Solomito July 4, Price Apr. 22, Palmleaf Oct. 7, Lake Oct. 6,

FOREIGN PATENTS France Jan. 11, 

